Brides of the West-Part One

by Hestand, Rita

  "Are you happy, Mrs. Morgan?"

  "Oh Cole…I want to fill this house with babies for you. I want to help you build an empire, right here. I want to tell everyone how much I love you."

  "I've never been this happy in my life, Em."

  "How many children would you like?" She asked him with a blushing smile.

  "Oh, I don't know, four or five more wouldn't hurt." He laughed.

  She listened to that laugh and coveted it. This was where she belonged, and this was where she fit in.

  Cole had sent a telegram to her Uncle in New York telling him how happy they were and that they had expected the birth of their first child any day now. Instead of threats and re-criminations, they got a telegram back that very evening, about how happy her Uncle was for her. Come to find out Robert had lied about her Uncle. He had never put out a wanted poster on her. He merely accepted her running away.

  Emily knew this new country would bring them everything they ever wanted. There would be hardships along the way, sorrows, and celebrations. But they would weather it all together. For their love for each other was stronger than any problems that might come their way.

  They often visited the Parkers, and Mrs. Meriwether, who had gone to live with her oldest daughter and her family.

  Perez soon came to work for Cole, and fell in love with an immigrant woman and married her.

  Sam and Heddy had married too. Bill had died of Cholera a year later, on another wagon train headed for Oregon.

  The Townsends had moved close to Cole's place and they were neighbors. Emily had helped bring her second son into the world too.

  Cole and Emily raised seven sons and one daughter. And they lived their days out happy and content in the Willamette Valley until the turn of the century.

  The End

  Book Four

  Wanted: Bride

  Wanted: Bride

  by Rita Hestand

  1878 Central West Texas

  South of Pecos

  Chapter One

  Gil Sutton had lived in the town of Hard Knocks, Texas all of his life. It was a boring little town. On the map, it straddled the panhandle and west Texas. It took five years to come up with a name for the place, and was rejected five times, before Hard Knocks was temporarily accepted as an official town. It took fifteen years to build a jail. Court convened in the local saloon, The Last Slipper.

  Like any town, it had its share of local businesses that operated under a reasonable income, hardware shop, general store, livery and blacksmith, bank, millinery shop, and three saloons, two churches and a local gunsmith. There was a cotton gin south of town that operated many years ago before the droughts came, a local saw mill that had a hard time staying in business. Most of the mines had played out and most everyone had settled into the fact that they weren't going to get rich in this little town, as the railroad had long passed them by. However, it was a peaceful town.

  Most of the folks were Christians or Catholics. Going to church proved good character by the local gossips.

  That's how life was, and it looked as though it might remain that way, much to Gil's dismay. Not that he wanted outlaws and bad things to happen, he just wanted something besides dull. However, things were about to change in Hard Knocks…and no one had a clue.

  Gil knew all about jails, he was a deputy, and had been for the last four years. Lou had hired him because he was fast on the draw, and slow to anger. Lawmen prevailed in Gil's family. Ben Sutton had been the first Sheriff in Hard Knocks. Killed instantly by a stray bullet from a drunk cowboy five years earlier, during a drunken brawl in front of the Last Slipper saloon, Lou Riggs, his deputy, took the job.

  Although Gil had worked hard at finding the murderer, he hadn't been successful. He witnessed it from a distance across the street. The only clue he had, was the fella had a scar that ran from his forehead across one eye to the bottom of his nose. He was also potbellied. The general description of the man fit many, except for the scar.

  Life settled out again for Gil though, despite his restless itch to find the ones responsible.

  Gil had a hound dog named Precious, he was the mascot of the town. Precious wasn't an ambitious dog. Instead, he preferred sunning himself in front of the Sheriff's office most every day.

  "Lookie here what I found…" The Sheriff, Lou Riggs said shifting his cigar to the other side of his mouth and staring at a wanted poster he'd just received. He reared back in his chair when Gil examined the paper.

  Gil grabbed it out of Lou's hand and stared at it himself. "I don't believe it."

  "Says so right underneath there. Aiding and abetting known felons for bank robbery."

  "She couldn't do anything like that?" Gil shouted, pushing his hat back from his face and put his hands at his hips, one on his gun. "This isn't the truth. Why do they send out these things before they know the truth?"

  "Now son, you know as well as I do that Callie Evans has been hanging around with the wrong kinds of people for some time. Let's face it. She's running with trouble."

  "You sound like all the other gossips in town. I swear, Lou. I agree she is over there a lot, maybe she's involved with Joe, I don't know. I agree that she protects them, but I don't believe for a moment she has seriously involved herself with these men." Gil defended his childhood sweetheart to the Sheriff.

  "It don't matter what you believe, Gil. It matters what this says." Lou shook his head and laughed his eyes full of amusement. "Callie is amusingly naïve. I don't think there is a mean bone in her body, but her problem is she doesn't take the law as seriously as she should. She stopped having respect the day her Ma died. I can't blame her for that. They never found who actually done the shooting. She doesn't seem to realize that running around with unsavory people can get her in a world of trouble. Then, I'm not a judge or a jury. Personally, I like her. She's got spunk and character, she just don't know how to say no to a hard luck story."

  "You've known her all your life, Lou. She's always for the underdog, and sometimes that dog is just plain no good. I guess she gets that from her Ma."

  "It's because I know her that I don't believe this poster, and I won't put it up. So don't get your hackles up, boy. Until she proves me wrong, I won't go against her. However, I can tell you this. Her Ma was just like her. Now she loved Howard, her husband with a passion, and she believed every word he said. Most of what he said was lies. Callie's the same way. But there is no doubt about it; her daddy was the wrong kind." Lou began. "Her mother tried to raise her right, give her a Christian background, but as she got older she just seemed bent on saving every poor devil with a sad story."

  "She's not her daddy, and she's not her mother. You can't label people Lou. It isn't fair and you know it."

  "That's true, and you know that I know that. But this town doesn't. We got a gossip every hundred foot. Now that she's grown, she needs to realize that the company she keeps will judge her. This poster is an example. I won't put it up, but I sure hope something happens to change her direction. That girl could get herself in a world of trouble and still be innocent as a new babe in doing it."

  "I'll never believe Callie is a bad sort." Gil said shaking his head.

  "Why, just because you were sweet on her when you were fourteen years old? She's not a kid anymore. And it looks bad for her to be hanging around those Boggs men. Too bad she doesn't have a man around to keep her away from all the riff-raff."

  "You don't even give her credit for having a decent Mom do you?"

  "Her mom was sweet as molasses, but that don't speak for her. Sure, Linda was a swell mother, none better. However, when she was accidentally shot that changed things. Bullets were flying that day right and left, no one could be sure who actually shot her. She just happened to be an innocent by-stander is all. Callie never accepted that theory. But ever since, Callie hasn't had much use for the law. She figured it as out and out murder. She hasn't been the same girl since. Doggone boy, you haven't seen that girl lately and you still hold with her. You don
’t' know what she is up to."

  Gil paced the office now, knowing he couldn't convince Lou that Callie was a victim of circumstance. Still, he could barely convince himself. On the inside, he wanted to defend her honor. On the outside, he felt like finding her and arresting her, himself.

  "I'm not one to listen to gossip!" Gil said pointing to the circular, that Lou was holding. "There's got to be more to it than that."

  "Well, I might have to remind you if she keeps hanging out at the Boggs place. Seriously, I know their mother is sick, and that's why she goes there. She's been a good neighbor to her." Lou laughed. "No, the only thing that would save Callie is if she could find herself a good man, settle down and marry. Not a man like Joe Boggs either. And that's who she is hanging around with."

  "You don't have to remind me, Lou." Gil fretted. "But there's no proof that she's running with them."

  "I hope you mean that. As I've heard a lot of rumors. As a whole though, Callie is well thought of for raising that kid brother of hers."

  "She'd done a good job with Sam."

  "Kind of remarkable. She's kept food on the table and a roof over their head. Don't suppose anyone would want that shack anyway, nor the land. Nevertheless, Sam sure keeps growing things despite the fact that he has to haul water from the spring every day. He's a hardworking kid. Now…Want to go get some supper?"

  Gil stared at his friend for a long while. "If you can keep her name out of our conversation, sure."

  "I'll do my best, son. I sure will." Lou laughed.

  The minute they opened the door there was Precious, stretched out in front of the doorway.

  "Why don't you feed that dog at home, so he'll stay there?"

  "I happen to like him hanging around here." Gil protested. "He's good company."

  "All he does is sleep."

  Gil reached down to give Precious an affectionate hug, and then looked up. "Well what would you do if you were a dog in this town?"

  "Something wrong with this town, kid?"

  "No, not a thing, it's peaceful and quiet most of the time. Nothing ever happens here." Gil complained.

  "That's true enough." Lou agreed as they crossed the street to the café. "And you ought to be glad of it."

  Josephine Miller owned the Lone Street Café and she knew every piece of gossip the minute it happened.

  "Gil, Lou, what can I get for you today?"

  "Just give us the specials of the day, Jo…" Lou smiled at her.

  "Got yourself a date for the barn dance, Gil?" Jo asked turning in her order to the cook.

  Gil folded his lips and tried not to say a word. He didn't want to discuss it with the town gossip. He just wanted to eat his meal in peace.

  "Better not talk about Callie Evans, Jo. Gil's a bit tender hearted where she's concerned." Lou chuckled.

  "You got any coffee, Jo?" Gil asked, trying to distract the conversation.

  "Sure honey. I'll get it for you. Why I plumb forgot you and Callie were sweethearts once. But what's it been ten or twelve years since you were?" Jo chuckled. "Why don't you ask her to the dance?"

  "I'm not sweet on her. I just don't like to hear nothing bad said about her. This is her home." Gil defended. "And…well, she's my friend."

  Jo nodded. "Now Gil, you aren't still sweet on her, are you?"

  "No! Not exactly."

  "Just a tad." Lou laughed. "I don't think Gil ever got over Callie. But…all things considered he could do a lot worse. Callie's got a lot of character. I like that. I like spunk in a woman."

  "I don't need any food or coffee. I'm going home."

  "Sit yourself back down boy. We'll hush. It's just that she's more interesting to talk about than anyone we know. But we don't want to rile you, so we'll hush about her for now." Lou promised.

  "Alright, that's better."

  Jo poured them both some coffee and Lou talked with her for a while. "Are you going to the barn raising Jo?" Lou asked her.

  "Oh yeah, I forgot, that's this Saturday, isn't it?" Jo asked eyeing Gil for a moment. "I hadn't thought about it much, but I guess I'll go. You know they already have the four sides up and the roof on. I think they are going to hold it inside the new one, that will be kind of nice. And land sakes there will be food enough for an army."

  "Who's taking you?" Gil asked.

  "I think I'm old enough to take myself. Don't you?"

  "I guess, but a lady should have an escort." Gil told her and looked at Lou, clearing his throat.

  Lou glanced up and smiled. "I'll take Jo…like I always do."

  "Well you could ask her, you know?" Gil frowned at Lou. "A lady likes being asked Lou."

  "Jo you want to go with me?" Lou asked as though he knew her answer beforehand.

  "I'd love to Lou…" Jo smiled and blinked her eyes hard. She shot Gil a smile and Lou a big frown. "Thanks for asking me!"

  "Alright make fun, but you know as well as I do I'm right about this. You don't just assume the lady will go with you, you ask her. Polite like." Gil informed Lou.

  "Since when did you get so much etiquette?" Lou backed his chair against the wall and stared at Gil.

  "Since Mary Mae Putney put me straight on the matter. She turned me down two years in a row because I wouldn't ask her polite like. Now I don't want to ask her."

  "Two years in a row?" Lou made a face. "I thought you were popular with the ladies, Gil." Jo winked at Lou.

  "When I was fifteen maybe, but not now. However, with Mary Mae refusing me, I've learned some. It doesn't matter, I really didn't like her that much anyway, she spends all her time primping herself, like if a hair fell out of place the world would end."

  "You gonna ask her again?" Lou asked.

  "Nope, I'm going alone, I told you."

  "Stubborn huh?"

  Gil shook his head, "No, when a lady turns you down twice, it's time to look elsewhere. Besides, I think she's really interested in Fred Roberts."

  "Fred? Well, he does have a good job at the bank. Maybe it's money she's after, and not a stud."

  "That came to my mind too. Especially since Fred is pretty homely looking." Gil agreed with a smirk.

  "Wonder what old Fred has that you don't?"

  Jo came by their table and shook her head. "A woman doesn't always look at a man's looks, like a man does a woman. But she sees his character. And Fred is very nice I'll have you know. He's got manners and he's thrifty with his money. A woman could do a lot worse. A woman also looks at her future with a man. Fred has possibilities. I could understand it, I suppose. But I like my men a little more…shall we say gutsy."

  "Well Mary Mae is pretty, but she's got her nose so high in the air, she's liable to drown. She puts on fancy ways but she's as country as the next girl around here. And it isn't looks so much in a lady, but heart."

  Lou laughed. "You look at her heart, do you?"

  "Sort of, yeah. What means the most to her. What does she care about? Or is she constantly thinking about herself."

  "Then maybe you and Callie have more in common than I imagined, because the one thing she has is heart. She cares about people. Living out there in the country as she does, she manages to help more people than most of us in town ever do. She takes food to the sick, tends the sick when the doc can't make it out there. And…she's practically raised Sam single-handed. Yeah, Callie has a lot of heart I'd say." Lou reflected.

  Gil studied on that a moment.

  Gil glanced from Jo to Lou. Jo was closer to Lou's age and he eyed her with precision for a moment. Jo wasn't a bad looking older woman, with her dark brown hair put on top her head, and her equally dark brown eyes watching the town through her big window every day. If you wanted information, you went to Jo. Years ago, Jo's husband was killed in a logging accident back east and Jo had moved west, on her own.

  Jo was a little on the heavy side, but Lou was too, Gil decided. They'd be a perfect match, if Lou would get off the stick and ask her to wed.

  Lou was bound to be in his early fifties, with graying
brown hair and blue eyes. He was a fair man, and a good Sheriff.

  They might make a couple if they tried, Gil thought to himself.

  "So, who you taking Gil?" Jo asked.

  "Hadn't thought about it much."

  "Well, you better get to thinking. All the girls in this town will be spoken for in another day or two." Jo informed him.

  "Then I'll go by myself." Gil informed her.

  "How come you don't have a regular girl, Gil?" Jo asked. "It's time you were settling down, you got a respectable job, you go to church every Sunday, but you don't show any interest in the girls. And I see a lot of them eyeing you, but you don't seem to have any interest. What are you building that beautiful ranch up for, if you don't have a woman to put in it?"

  "I don't have a lot of time to show any interest, Jo. I try to help my brothers tend the farm when I'm not working with Lou or my own house. Just don't have much time to shop around. I think I'll know when I find a woman that I know will fit into my life, my home, and my dreams."

  "You got dreams?" Lou questioned.

  "Sure, don't we all?" Gil frowned.

  "Don't let the girls around here hear you call it shopping around." Jo informed him and went to get their plates of food.

  "I always thought love was something that had to come sort of natural to you. But you got to do some looking around, and not just settle. Settling makes life a pure misery." Gil informed them.

  "I heard tell that Dora Martin doesn't have a date." Jo said aloud.

  "Dora Martin? No thank you. She doesn't do anything but giggle all the time. I can do better than that, any day. Maybe it's shyness, or maybe she doesn't know how irritating that giggle of hers is, but no thanks."

  "Well you might could do better, if you got busy asking." Jo laughed.

  "What about Susan Higgins?" Lou crooked his head at him.

  "What about her?" Gil frowned at Lou.

  "She's right pretty." Jo said.

  "I guess. But she's been mooning over Hal Morton. I don't think I'll get caught up with her. She's too much of a game player, always trying to make Hal jealous." Gil announced. "They've wasted so much time playing games with each other; I think they forgot they like each other."